Berea Ecovillage

In support of the mission of Berea College, the Ecovillage is a multi-use set of buildings designed to support the students, faculty and staff of Berea College. With ambitious environmental goals, the project team, led by Van der Ryn Architects, embarked on a mission to design and construct 28 new student housing units, , a new commons building, a Child Development Lab for K-3, and a living demonstration home to be run by environmental studies students. All projects feature R-Control SIP panel construction, FSC Certified wood, passive & stack ventilation, no VOC materials and finishes, vegetable gardens, as well as contextual and historical sensitivity. The SENS house also features straw bale construction. A living machine designed by John Toddprocesses all waste water from the ecovillage and returns it into the dwelling units to flush toilets and irrigate landscape.